By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

EDGARD — West St. John hasn’t been tested often this season, but an East Iberville team desperate to keep its own district championship hopes alive gave the Rams all they could handle Friday night.

But in the end, West St. John overcame a game Tigers squad after creating some fourth quarter breathing room en route to a 61-52 District 9-1A victory at West St. John.

Jaylyn Gordon scored 32 points to lead a Lady Rams team that fought through injury, foul trouble and a cold shooting night. West St. John (22-1, 6-0) lost forward Donasia Bell to an ankle injury in the second quarter and played much of the second half with guard Jujuan Nicholas on the bench in foul trouble.

Adding onto those issues was that this was a night where a Rams team that normally bombards the competition with 3’s made just one on the night — an off-balance heave by Gordon that sank through as she crashed to the ground at the end of the third quarter.

But after three back-and-forth quarters, West St. John allowed just six fourth quarter points.

“We had to get to the basket more because our shots weren’t falling,” said Gordon. “We started playing defense like we needed to and settled down later in the game.”

Added West St. John coach Lester Smith, “We needed a game like this.”

West St. John defeated East Iberville easily in the first meeting between the teams on Jan. 8, 67-35. One difference was that this time, the Tigers had center Kaitlyn Knight back in the lineup after she was sidelined for the first matchup. Another was the team’s defensive approach.

“They played man on us this time. The last time they stayed in a 1-3-1,” said Gordon. “So we didn’t see as many open 3’s.”

The victory put West St. John in extremely strong position to repeat as district champions. East Iberville and White Castle each have two district losses and are tied for second place, two games behind the Rams.

Nicholas and Maya Trench each scored seven points for the Rams. Harly Morris added six.

Chelsea Green scored 15 points to lead East Iberville (13-13, 4-2). Ja’Laycia Mills scored 13 and Kirstein Oubre added 12.  

West St. John led 30-26 at halftime and pulled out to a 10-point lead early in the second half. But East Iberville began to heat up.

Green canned jumpers on three consecutive Tiger possessions, including two 3-pointers, to cut WSJ’s lead to 38-34. Gordon answered with a tough leaner, but Oubre scored and drew a foul, converting a 3-point play to make it 40-37.

Oubre made another bucket to draw the Tigers within one, then Mills scored inside to give East Iberville its first lead of the second half, 41-40.

West St. John retook the lead on a layup by Morris that made it 44-42. Then Jaquania Hunter’s steal led to a transition layup by Trench to make it a 46-42 Ram lead. The Rams led 52-46 at the end of the third on Gordon’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

WSJ extended its lead to seven when Trench made a steal and connected with Hunter downcourt for an open layup, making it 56-49.

“We got good minutes from Harly Morris, Jaquania Hunter and Mychelle Lumar,” said Smith. “We’ve got a little depth on this team. When we had (starters) on the bench, we didn’t feel bad about having them out there. They played well.”

Oubre banked in a score at the other end, but the Rams’ suffocated the Tigers’ offense from there, allowing just one more point the rest of the way.

New rims were installed earlier in the day at the Ram gym, which may have contributed to the team’s season-low 3-point shooting output.

“That maybe threw us off,” said Gordon. “We weren’t used to it.”

“We had to get it inside,” said Smith. “You just adjust … We needed that type of game. We won’t blow everyone out, and this kind of win builds everyone’s confidence when you get into a close game down the road.”